Metal structure



H. K. BAKER METAL STRUCTURE Dec. 31, 1935.

Filed Sept. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MMTWMMMM Q ATTO RN EY's Dec. 31, 1935. H, BAKER 2,025,708

METAL STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 12, 1951 2 She ets-Sheet 2 T E. INVENTOR I wpdmi Atm mlflda mw ATTO RN EYS Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in expanded metal structures and methods. in making same.

The particular object of my invention is to provide an expanded metal fabric light in weight per unit of area, possessing greater rigidity than heretofore provided in expanded metal fabrics of the kind depending entirely upon their strand structure for stifiness of the finished sheet. On account of economy in weight, this type of expanded metal is used extensively as a plaster base. Present fabrics of this kind when made andv used as metal lathing lack rigidity and require closer spacing of the supporting members to which the fabric is attached, than otherwise would be necessary.

The expanded metal structure embodying my invention is adaptable to the same procedure in manufacturing with modifications, as the type of fabric formed by operating upon a previously slitted sheet, to bend or deflect the strands to produce the open diamond mesh, the bent strands extending diagonally of the sheet in opposite di rections and being connected at their intersections by bonds or bridges disposed in rows extending transversely of the sheet. As is well known in the art, these bonds or bridges by reason of their double or greater width than the strands when disposed substantially edgewise to the sheet, imparts the stiffening factor to the fabric. Spacing these bonds closer together increases the rigidity of the sheet. To space these bonds closer together in the present expanded metal fabric mentioned above, requires the openings to be further reduced in size, therefore increasing the number of strands, area and weight of the blank as well as unit weight of the finished sheet, or further decrease the width of the strands to the extent of impracticability in maintaining economy of weight in the finished sheet.

In my improved expanded metal structure, the bonds and strands are arranged so that strand interconnecting bonds are not only spaced closer together across the sheet but are aligned in substantially edgewise relation to the plane of the sheet in such a manner to distribute any strains (causing flexing when handling or sagging when being plastered on) over a greater area of mesh structure, thereby resisting such strains more satisfactorily than the present expanded metal fabrics of this type.

Although the arrangement of strands and bonds in the expanded metal fabrics embodying my invention permits closer spacing of the bonds across the sheet, economy in weight is maintained in the finished fabric as will be readily understood in accompanying drawings and following specifications.

Figure 1 is a face view of a fragment of a fabric embodying the improvements of my invention;

Figure 2 is a view of a fragment of a previously slitted blank showing the arrangement of the slits and strand interconnecting bonds, from which the fabric in Figure 1 is expanded;

Figure 3 is a face view of a fragment of an- 10 other fabric embodying my invention with modifications over the fabric shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view of a fragment ofa previously slitted blank showing the arrangement of the slits and strand interconnecting bonds, from 5 which the fabric shown in Figure 3 is expanded, including the modifications shown in Figure 4a.

Figure 4a. is a View of a fragment of a previ-- ously slitted blank with slightly modified arrangement of the bonds over the blank in Figure 4;

Figure 5 is a view of a portion of a previously slitted blank being progressively expanded, starting at a point well within from the outside longitudinal edges of the slitted blank and expanding progressively outward in opposite diverging lines to the longitudinal edges of the slitted blank, producing the expanded metal structure embodying my invention;

Figure 6 is a view of a portion of the slitted blank being progressively expanded by starting from one outside longitudinaledge expanding progressively in a diagonal line to the opposite longitudinal edge of the slitted blank, producing the expanded metal structure embodying my in:- vention;

Figure 7 is a diagonal cross section on line 1-1 of Figure 1, and

Figure 8 is a similar section on line'88of Figure l. 40

The arrows in Figures 5 and 6 indicate the direction of the movement of the slitted blank as the said blanks are being progressively expanded.

To produce the expanded metal structure as embodied in my invention, slits uniform in length 45 are formed in the blank by an arrangement to position the strand interconnecting bonds B (see Fig. 2) so that any one bond is spaced an unequal distance apart between any pair of bonds in the adjacent row of longitudinally alined bonds thereby producing the alternate relatively short and long strands A and C respectively (see Fig. 2). The blank with the slits so formed is expanded or opened into a mesh-work structure so that said bonds are substantially alined with the relatively 55 sheet, the relatively longer strands C being in somewhat staggered relation inclined in the opposite direction diagonally of the sheet (see Fig. 1).

The expanded metal structure embodying this invention is further modified (see Fig. 3) by forming slits in the blank in an arrangement whereby the strand interconnecting bond Bl (see Figs. 4 and 4a) are either lengthened or positioned so that the bonds in any row of bonds extending lengthwise of the slitted blank join, abut or partially overlap the bonds in the adjacent row of longitudinally alined bonds. The blank with the slits and the bonds so arranged is expanded into meshwork whereby bonds Bl extend in lines diagonally of the sheet and the strands AI in cline away from said bonds in the opposite direction diagonally of the sheet. In this arrangement of slits and bonds (see Figs. 4 and 4a) said bonds Bl may also be regarded as strands of double or greater width than strands Al.

Referring to Fig. 4a, the bonds Bl in rows extending lengthwise of the slitted blank are arranged to overlap said bonds in the adjacent rows, for the length of said overlap at B2 the combined width of bonds is three times the width of strands AI. In this arrangement the bonds Bl plane of the sheet.

In this invention the close coupling of the bonds in a series of bonds and their alignment in edgewise relation extending diagonally of the sheet, materially increases the efilciency of the bonds in imparting rigidity to the meshwork structure, as a greater-number of bonds cooperatively act to distribute the bending stresses when .the sheet is under load to a greater area of meshwork 'structure than in present forms of expanded metal fabrics mentioned herein. As the bonds in these structures are generally of independent alignment and coupled in offset relation with the strands extending diagonally of the sheet in op-,

posite directions which tends to restrict the bonds in cooperatively acting to distribute the bending stresses as the bonds are offset from alignment with the strands carrying the stresses. In my improved meshwork structure formed of relatively long and short strands being connected by bonds, the said combined bonds and short strands extending inlines diagonally of the sheet form borders for two sides of the openings D (see Fig. l) and the longer strands extending in the opposite diagonal direction forming the remaining borders of said openings. This arrangement permits the closer coupling of the bonds without further materially decreasing the area of the meshwork openings or the width of strands found in the present forms of this type of expanded metal fabrics of the same weight being accepted by the trade. Thereby rigidity is increased and economy of weight is maintained in my improved expanded metal structure.

The rigidity may further be increased by the modifications (see Figs. 3, 4, and 4a) by extending the length of the bonds in the slitted blank, when expanded into meshwork the bonds Bl (see Fig. 3) are formed in lines in edgewise relation extending diagonally of the sheet, said bonds exshorter strands A extending diagonally of the tend the full distance between pairs of parallel strands Al extending in the opposite diagonal direction. These bonds'may be arranged to even overlap, this overlap is identified by B2 (see Figs. 3 and 4a). 5

The expanded metal fabrics as. embodied in my invention' may be slitted and expanded from blanks by any suitable means (not shown). Methods of expanding a previously slitted blank (see Fig. 2) is shown in Figures 5 and 6, the slitted blanks as shown in Figures 4 and 4a may also be expanded in the same manner.

Although certain comparisons are made herein as to sizes of openings and width of strands with present forms of expanded metal fabrics of this type, it is understood however, the size of openings may be altered with corresponding changes in the size of the bonds and strands to fulflll the needs of the trade without departing from my invention.

Although in describing my invention as an expanded metal fabric, light in weight, of increased rigidity over similar types of fabric 'used for metal lathing, it may also be employed in the making of fabrics for reinforcing concrete, screening, etc.

As clearly shown in Figures 1, 3, 5, and 6 the angle of divergence between the short or bonded strands and the longitudinal axis of the sheet is limited to approximately This produces the important effect of greatly increasing the longi- 30 tudinal rigidity of the expanded sheet, as the short strands which include the bonds extend in continuity through a considerable portion of the length of the sheet. As a consequence it is not necessary to produce any ribs or other reinforcee ment longitudinally of the sheet as rigidity is obtained by the same construction of mesh work throughout the length and breadth of the sheet.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An expanded metal fabric comprising a meshwork of strands and bonds, a bond throughout its length being of a width of a plurality of strands and said meshwork including a series of said bonds in continuity and substantially in edgewise relation'to the plane of the sheet and 15 strands extending transversely from said bonds.

2. An expanded metal fabric comprising a meshwork of strands and bonds including pluralities of bonds arranged to form continuities of relatively wide strands extending diagonally of the sheet and relatively narrow strands extended transversely from said wide strands.

3. An expanded metal fabric comprising a mesh work of strands and unslitted strips, said unslitted strips extending continuously diago- 5 nally of the expanded sheet and parallel to each other and strands extending transversely between said unslitted strips.

4. An expanded metal fabric comprising a mesh work of strands and unslitted strips, said unslitted strips being in substantially edgewise relation to the plane of the sheet and extending diagonally thereof and strands inclining away from and extending between said unslitted strips.

5. An expanded metal fabric comprising a meshwork of strands and bonds the strands being of substantially equal width, a bond throughout its length being of a width which is an even multiple of strand widths and a series of said bonds extending in uninterrupted continuity with strands extending transversely from said bonds.

6. An expanded metal fabric comprising a meshwork of strands and bonds including a series of bonds arranged to form an uninterrupted continuity of relatively wide strands extending diagother the entire width of the sheet, said bonds forming two sides of each open mesh and said strands forming the other two sides.

8. An expanded metal open mesh fabric such as can be formed from a sheet slitted parallel to the side edges thereof to form a series of strands,

and bonds between strands continuous with each.

other, said bonds and strands in the expanded sheet extending diagonally thereof and transversely to each other.

9. An expanded metal open mesh fabric such as can be formed from, a blank slitted parallel to the side edges thereof to form a series 0! strands, and bonds between adjacent strands continuous with each other, said bonds and strands in the expanded sheet extending diagonally thereof, the bonds forming a continuous bar of a width equal to a multiple of strands.

10. An expanded metal open mesh fabric such as can be formed from a blank slitted longitudinally thereof to form parallel strands, leaving unslitted strips extending diagonally of the blank and the direction of the slits, 'said strands and unslitted strips in the expanded sheet extending diagonally thereof and transversely to each other.

HERBERT K. BAKER. 

